How Long To Steam Cauliflower

Do you ever find it annoying when you bite into a very hard cauliflower or that the cauliflower is so mushy that it taste like water? Well, I know that this is one of my pet peeves when it comes to cooking Cauliflower. This vegetable is very healthy, nutritious, and versatile. Health coaches and nutrition experts often recommend cauliflower in the menu. This is mainly because the vegetable helps reduce cancer risk, fight inflammation, improve cardiac health, has high levels of vitamin C and vitamin K, improves digestion, assist in weight loss, balance hormones, and keeps your eye healthy.

I even feel confident after eating a bowl of cauliflower; it’s actually one of my favorite vegetables if it’s cooked correctly. You can use it for any type of dishes. People on the ketogenic diet, which is a low carbohydrate diet would use cauliflower as a substitution. Instead of eating carbs, the ketogenic dieter will eat cauliflower to help them get full. Because cauliflower has high fiber content, it can make us feel full faster and longer.Even regular dieter who are trying to fight the cravings often munch on cauliflower to keep them full and to reduce the cravings. If you are constipated, the high content fiber from cauliflower can help regulate your metabolic system to help loosen your stool.

After all, it is a great natural remedy for treating constipation. In order to get the full benefits of cauliflower, it’s essential to cook it properly. The most common question that people often ask is "How Long To Steam Cauliflower?" If you steam it too long, you will break down the nutritional benefits of the cauliflower. The texture will be too soft, and the flavor will turn dull and watered down. If you don’t steam it long enough, the cauliflower will remain very hard and stale. This is why it’s important to find the proper way, time, and temperature to steam it how long to steam cauliflower.

What do I need to steam my Cauliflower

Preparing the cauliflower

Before steaming your cauliflower, make sure to collect all the proper ingredients to prepare for your culinary adventure.

Fresh high-quality cauliflower

Water

Kosher salt

Ground pepper

Grass fed butter

Garlic power

On the stove

It takes longer and require some caution, but the cauliflower taste better.

Large pot that can fit the cauliflower

Steamer basket

Microwave

This method is faster and more efficient if you are in a hurry. However, the cauliflower does not taste as good as being on the stove.

Microwave

Plate with lid

Both stove and microwave methods have their pros and cons when it comes to steaming the cauliflower. The stove methods may take longer and require some precaution. You have to be careful when you pour hot water into the steamer basket. The last thing you want is a severe burn. This might not be a safe method if you have children running around the kitchen. The stove method requires that you pay close attention to the boiling water. If you want to take a nap, the water can over boiled or evaporate. This can also be dangerous because without proper attendance, it could cause a fire or over boil.

However, the good part about this method is that the cauliflower taste like heaven. The end result is amazing. The vegetable has a nice texture and moisture. It also preserves the majority of its nutrient and vitamins. I also noticed that the stove method enhances the cauliflower's ability to absorb more of the seasoning. That way, when I took a bite of the finishing result, I can taste the flavor of the seasoning as well as the freshness of the vegetable. The microwave method, on the other hand, is fast, efficient, and safer. This would be a useful method if you are running late or have children running around. You can also take a nap with this method because the microwave will beep and stop after it completes its duration of time. This will prevent any hazards or overheating.

However, the end result is not as good as we think. The cauliflower tastes dry despite adding additional seasoning. Plus, the Cauliflower loses its natural freshness. I felt that the flavor taste very artificial. It's like I have purchased a frozen bag of mixed vegetables from the supermarket and decided to take the shortcut and put them in the microwave. Overall, I prefer the stove method because I take cooking seriously. Cauliflower isn’t just a vegetable, it’s nutrition that can be beneficial for my health. The extra moisture it absorbs from the boiling water can be hydration for my body. Plus the microwave releases harmful radiation and particle that can be absorbed by the cauliflower. This can be very harmful to my body. This is why I preferred the stove method because the result will give me better-tasting cauliflower with more nutrition minus the harmful radiation.

How to Steam the Cauliflower

Preparing the cauliflower

Choosing the right cauliflower

The first up is to choose a high-quality fresh cauliflower from your local produce center. Observe the cauliflower to ensure that it's pure white and wrapped with bright green leaves. Make sure that the base is as white as possible. The color of the base usually indicates how fresh the vegetable is. If the Head of the cauliflower is gray or that there are gaps between the tops, that means the vegetable has gone bad.

Cutting your cauliflower

After finding the right cauliflower, begin cutting the leaves with a sharp knife. It’s essential to cut the green leaves that surround the head of the cauliflower. Make sure to cut the leaves as close to the base as possible. If you like, you can also cook the leaves. They are a great addition to your cauliflower dish.

Trim

Then trim the stems and remove it. You can also save the stem and cook it. They make an excellent addition to your dish. Cutting the stem is optional, but it’s best to remove it to make the cauliflower smaller, so it’s easier to steam. Once you are done, make sure to cut the florets out.

Get rid of unwanted parts

Then spend some time to trim away any discolor or abnormal parts out of the cauliflower. For example, if you see something dark and brown, take it out. If the cauliflower is too big, cut it in half to make it smaller. You want to make sure that they are all equal size so they can cook equally.

Washing you cauliflower

Once you’re done cutting them, it thoroughly. You want to get rid of any dirt or debris.

Stove method

Boil water

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Fill the pot about 2 inches of water and boil on high heat.

Steamer basket

Place a steamer basket in the pot. Make sure that the basket does not touch the boiling water. If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can use a metal or wire mesh Kalandar as a substitute. Place the cauliflower on the steamer basket, cover, and cook for 5 to 13 minutes.

Seasoning

After you are done, flavor your cauliflower with salt, pepper, and garlic. You can also add Parmesan cheese in there as well. If you feel like experimenting, you can try other spices and herbs that such as lemon pepper, parsley, and paprika. Then mix the cauliflower and seasoning together, and serve.

Microwave

Cauliflower and plate

Put the Collie flower on a plate and spread it out evenly.

Add water

Then add a little bit of water to help you create steam. Ideally, you should add about 2 to 3 tablespoons or 30 to 45 mL of water. Then Cover the dish, and place it in the microwave. Make sure that both the plate and the lid or microwave safe.

Heat it up and season

Turn the microwave to 3 to 4 minutes and wait till it’s ready then sprinkle your desired seasoning and mix evenly and get ready to serve.

If you want to learn more about steaming cauliflower click here

After reading all the significant benefits of cauliflower and how to Steam it properly, we would like to know if you enjoy our tutorial? If not, let us know what we can do to improve.

Cauliflower is a fantastic vegetable with many wonderful health benefits. It contains a lot of nutrients and vitamins to improve your health. It has powerful cancer-fighting properties, excellent for our cardiovascular system, anti-inflammatory properties, an amazing source of vitamin C and K, high fiber content to regulate our digestive system, help us lose weight, balance our hormones, and improve our ocular health. Because of its health benefits, it is highly recommended to eat these vegetables raw.

Unfortunately, that would not be something fun to do. If we boil or cook the cauliflower in a pan, it can lose over half of its nutritional values. It will taste better that way, but it will lose its health effect. Fortunately, with steaming, The cauliflower can taste better and maintain all its health components. Unfortunately, steaming requires some knowledge and technique. If you over steam it, the cauliflower will lose half of this nutrient and taste soggy and stale. If we don’t steam it enough, the cauliflower will remain hard as a rock, stale, and dry.

The two strategies that I often recommend is the stove or the microwave method. The stove method can be a little bit troublesome and requires alertness, attendance, and precaution. However, anything that tastes good is worth the work. The cauliflower often tastes fresh, moist, and well seasoned. It also has all its nutrient minus the harmful radiation from the microwave method. This is why I personally love the stove method despite the trouble.

The microwave on the other hand is a faster and more efficient method. This is something that I would do if I am craving for cauliflower and in a hurry to go somewhere. Unfortunately, the cauliflower does not come out as tasty as the stove method. It is a little dry, but it still tastes good. I am worried about the radiation that it has absorbed from the microwave, but if I am able to get a healthy snack on the go, then I won’t be complaining.

I also felt that preparing the cauliflower to require some skills as well. If the vegetable is not cut evenly, then some parts would be well steam while the other parts will not have enough steam to cook it properly. It’s important to get a high-quality sharp knife to create precise and delicate cuts to ensure that all your cauliflowers are equal in size. Plus, the similar size makes it easier to season. You don’t want one side to be filled with seasons and the other side is stale cut. Steaming cauliflower requires a lot of practice. It starts from learning how to pick and pinpoint the fresh vegetable in the grocery store all the way to cutting and using the proper methods of steaming. Luckily, with enough practice and experience, you’ll be able to create the perfect steamed cauliflower.

After all this, I am very curious about what you guys think. I want to know which method you preferred. Would you rather have the stove method where it will take a longer time to steam your cauliflower, and could be little bit troublesome or dangerous, but end up with tastier and healthier cauliflower? Or would you prefer a fast efficient way of making a cauliflower but it won’t taste as good, and is less healthy? Definitely share with us your thoughts and opinions in the comment section. If you enjoy the article, feel free to share the article on social media or like it. After all, we enjoy writing and providing insight for content about food and would love to know what our readers think.